Herpes infections in mammals are caused by large lipid enveloped DNA viruses referred to as herpes viruses. Examples of mammalian diseases caused by herpes viruses include herpes simplex infections, chicken pox, shingles, cytomegalovirex infections, bovine mastitis, pseudorabies infections of pigs and cattle, and rhinotracheitis infections. A common response in herpes infections is the formation of a vesicular eruption of the skin, mucocutaneous tissue, eye, or mucus membranes. Clinical manifestions of herpes infections have been demonstrated in a number of species of mammals including man, monkeys, mice, rats, guinea pigs, cats, cattle, pigs and rabbits.
Herpes infections are commonly self limiting but are frequently recurring. Infections can become systemic and lead to death or severe disability. Herpes infections frequently involve the urogential area, the affected organs being the cervix, vulva, vagina, and urethra in females and the penis and urethra in males. It has been involved in localized and generalized infections of newborns, the infection usually being transmitted during delivery on passage through the infected birth canal.